i know i've seen you before
by chalantness
Summary: An alternate-universe meme. Drabble #9: Dick/Zatanna - Zatanna is a barista at a coffeeshop and Dick works across the street
1. guidelines

**i know i've seen you before  
**_an au meme  
_

* * *

**NOTICE (as of October 30, 2012):**

Although I wanted to have this done by the end of October, I just didn't get to nearly as many prompts as I would've liked to. And I really loved the prompts that I've received and I want to give them a chance to be written eventually.

So I've decided that I'm going to leave this meme open. I'll be focuing on my holiday meme for most of November, but I hope to be filling out prompts and updating this meme the background of the holiday one. So feel free to continue leaving prompts if you guys have some new ones you want me to add to the queue. (:

* * *

This meme is because alternate universes are my weakness! **Everything in bold is required for prompts!** The rest is just extra words that just clarify my points. I really appreciate everyone that reads what I write thoroughly because I know I ramble, but I thought I'd also highlight the important stuff.

Duration: until the end of October  
Prompting: Leave a prompt as a review or PM to my account

Note: The filled entries will be posted as additional "chapters" to this post.

_Details_

- The "duration" above is for you guys submitting prompts _and_ for me filling them out!  
- My usual rules: No incest, no pedo, no threesome/moresomes, no slash. But I won't be as strict on it for a reason said below.  
- Fills will be drabble-length (less than or around 1,000 words).

_About the Prompt_

- Pick **a** **pairing**. Feel free to leave others that you wouldn't mind or would want as alternates.  
- Leave an **alternate-universe scenario**. I highly encourage different au's but putting spins on canon is accepted, too.  
- Give the pairing **something to do for the first time** _i.e. first time they meet, first kiss, first date_  
- **If you want to use a scenario from somewhere else – a movie, TV show, book – then put the media in quotes and include a specifying detail**: the year it was released, the channel it's on, the name of the author. Example: _"Friends With Benefits" (2011) _or _"Harry Potter series" (JK Rowling)_ or _"Glee" (Fox)_  
- I encourage prompting rarer couples like League couples and pairings you don't see get written with a lot. You guys know I have my ships but I'm also trying work outside my comfort zones (:

Some examples of what the prompts could look like:

_Wally/Artemis, next door neighbors since childhood, first time they see each other romantically_

or

_Bruce/Dinah, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (2009), finding out their secret identities_

or

_Dick/Zatanna, if Dick and Zatanna had left the life instead of Wally and Artemis, first part-time jobs as college freshmen_


	2. drabble 1

**Pairing:** Kaldur/Raquel  
**Rating:** K+?  
**Word Count:** 1,000+  
**The 'verse:** Raquel is a single mother and Kaldur is her son's first grade teacher.  
**Prompt:** first time they meet  
**For:** an anon

... ...

Raquel got out of the meeting ten minutes later than they promised (which she'll be having a few _words_ with the board about later) and now she's late picking up Amistad. She called the school as she was getting into her car and said she wouldn't be there for another fifteen minutes, and the woman reassured her that it's not a problem at all.

She pulls into the parking stall at 3:30, and Mrs. Grayson is walking down the steps.

"Hi," Mrs. Grayson greets when they meet at the bottom step. She's wearing a pale blue blouse with a black pencil skirt and a floral scarf loosely wrapped around her neck, her dark hair pulled into a bun atop her head. She's easily the best dressed teacher Raquel has ever seen, as well as the youngest.

"Hi, Zatanna," Raquel greets back. They're on a first-name basis because Zatanna used to watch Amistad in the after-school daycare on campus when Raquel had a crazier schedule.

"I got to talk with Amistad a few minutes ago. He's such a cutie," she laughs. "I didn't know he was back in daycare, though."

"Actually, my meeting just ran late." Raquel shrugs one shoulder and Zatanna shakes her head empathetically. "Is the daycare still in the library?"

"Yes. And I'd love to catch up some more, but Dick's waiting." She touches Raquel's shoulder gently and smiles a little wider. "It was really good seeing you again. We should get together sometime. You still have my number, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then just give me a call," she says, dropping her hand and beginning to walk towards a black sports car. "It was nice seeing you!"

"You too," Raquel calls after her, and Zatanna gives a small wave before turning around and pulling open the door. She lets a squeal as she's yanked forward, which turns into a laugh, and Raquel catches a glimpse of Dick Grayson's face as he's kissing his wife. She met Dick when Zatanna introduced them at the Halloween party the school threw for the kids last year, and he'd told her that they were childhood sweethearts. They got married young, something Raquel probably never would've done, but it's very obviously perfect for them.

They seem even more in love than the last time she saw them, which is immensely sweet.

She wishes she had something like that.

Anyway.

She makes her way towards the library, and when she walks in, there are a few kids sitting on a circular carpet, piecing together a puzzle. Amistad is at the table with some of the older kids, doing his homework, and Raquel smiles proudly.

"Hi," a low voice greets, and she turns to see a man walking towards her. His pale blonde hair is shaved and he's wearing khakis, a light blue collared shirt and a gray sweater. He's not in a suit and totally formal like most of the other teachers she's seen, but she likes it. Looking like he puts less effort in his appearance somehow makes him more attractive.

What is she _thinking_?

"Can I help you?" he asks, smiling softly. His eyes are a pretty shade of pearl gray.

"Um, yeah," she mumbles. _God_, why is she… "I'm here to pick up Amistad. I'm his mother."

His eyebrows rise a little in a (purposefully?) muted manner of surprise. Then he shakes his head a little. "Forgive me," he says, "You just seem so… It would be rude of me to—"

"Don't worry." She's laughing now. "I had Amistad young and so I'm pretty used to people telling me that I don't look like I could be a mom."

He chuckles a little. "It is not that." She furrows her eyebrows. "It's just that you are very beautiful. Most of the mothers here… they are attractive, yes, but they are often very…" He hums a little, trying to find the right word. "They are weary, I suppose. I've never met a woman look as lively as you do."

She feels her cheeks warm. "That's not rude at all."

"I meant that it would be rude to other women," he corrects, and she lets herself laugh. "Your husband is very lucky."

"I'm single," she kind of blurts out. He grins, and her cheeks grow even warmer. _God_, what is wrong with her? "Amistad's father was never in the picture."

"I am sorry," he says.

She shrugs. "I'm not. The pregnancy was… unplanned, but I love Amistad. And the father made it pretty clear he didn't want to be part of our lives, which I'm glad for. I mean, of course I wish Amistad had a father figure, but I wouldn't trade a second he and I spent together these past few years."

He's smiling again. "Then I am glad for you. Amistad is a wonderful child, and I see now that he takes entirely after his mother."

"Thank you." She's not sure why she feels a little giddy now, but it's probably because she's never really told that story to anyone other than her parents. "I'm sorry, are you…"

"I am Amistad's first grade teacher, Mr. Durham," he introduces. "But you can call me Kaldur."

"Do you let all of your students' teachers to call you that?"

"No." He grins again. "Just you."

She feels herself smiling widely at him. "Well, thank you for staying with Amistad, Kaldur. I'm sure you have things you could be doing right now."

"Ah, well…" He shrugs his shoulders gently. "I do not mean to sound bland, but my personal life is quite uninteresting right now."

"Oh? And if you don't mind me asking, what would make it more interesting?"

"Will I be seeing you soon?"

He meets her eyes, and she can't help but feel like there's something very wrong about this. Not about Kaldur, of course – because she thinks that she hasn't felt this way about a guy in, well, _ever_ – but she's sure there's something wrong about a mother being dangerously attracted to her son's first grade teacher. At least it would make things interesting.

So she says, "Definitely," and wonders, in the back of her head, if Dick and Zatanna would be opposed to a double date sometime soon.


	3. drabble 2

**Pairing:** Wally/Artemis  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 1,000+  
**The 'verse:** strangers sharing an umbrella while waiting for a taxi cab in the pouring rain  
**Prompt:** first time they meet  
**For:** ParamoreXO

... ...

She hates the city.

Well, no, that's not true. She would've moved away by now if she hated the city. But she just hates getting _stuck_ in the city, especially when it's the tail end of fall and rains all the time because it's not quite cold enough for it to start snowing. The snow she _loves_. She loves a good storm, too.

She just enjoys them more from _inside_ her apartment, where she's dry and has blankets and candles and a heater and can make herself coffee.

Whatever. A little water isn't going to kill her.

She pulls her hood forward a little more. Not that it'll make much of a difference since she's already getting wet. And it's probably really messing up her hair, too, but it's the end of the day and she's going straight home from here so it's not a big deal.

She distracts herself from the weather by mentally composing a grocery list. She's always been good at remembering things, so she'll be able to retain it at least until she gets into a taxi and can save it to her phone. Raquel said they needed eggs, tomatoes, and garlic. They ran out of syrup this morning and she's been craving bananas, _oh_, and waffles—

And suddenly Artemis can't feel the rain against her hood anymore, or her coat, for that matter.

There's an umbrella over her head.

"Um…"

"Sorry," the guy holding the umbrella over her head—well, both of their heads—says. "I just felt bad that you were without an umbrella."

She takes in his red hair and freckled skin, his friendly smile, and isn't really sure what to say. She usually doesn't like it when people pity her in any capacity, but he _is_ just trying to be nice. Maybe he's one of those people that vow to do random acts of kindness for total strangers every day. He seems the type: simple, honest, generous.

In other words, nothing like a native of the city would be.

Then he starts frowning a bit in confusion and she realizes that she must've been making _the face_. (According to Raquel, Artemis looks kind of pissed off and unapproachable whenever she's preoccupied.) So she gives a smile and says, "Thank you."

He's grinning again. "I was starting to think I did something wrong trying to help you."

She lets herself laugh at that. "Sorry, I was just… thinking. I really do appreciate the gesture, though," she adds, meaning it. "I'm not exactly used to kind strangers."

"That's because I'm not from around here." She raises her eyebrows a little. "I'm from L.A. but I had a job offer in the city and I wanted to check it out."

"That's all?"

He looks confused again. "What?"

"No one flies across the country just to _check out_ a job offer," she explains. "Obviously you're sold on it. You just don't realize it." He frowns again and she subtly bites the inside of her cheek as she berates herself in her head. She's not always great with casual conversation. "Sorry. I didn't mean to assume anything."

"No, it's alright. I guess you're actually right." He shrugs, smiling again. She's decided she likes his smile. "Thanks."

"Happy to be of service."

"So why'd you say you weren't used to kind strangers?" he asks. "I mean, I know it's the city and all but not _everyone_ is rude here, right?"

"Maybe they are," she teases, but he actually frowns as he considers this. "I'm just joking. Yes, I've encountered several other friendly strangers here. I just…" She doesn't really know how to say this without coming off as conceited. "Guys usually come up to me with _ulterior motives_, and girls aren't always… well, I guess I don't appear friendly to them."

Damn, that still sounded pretty self-absorbed of her.

And she wonders why she cares so much about this stranger's opinion, anyway.

"Well, _I'm_ not just trying to get into your pants." A beat passes. She feels her cheeks warm and his turn almost as bright as his hair. "I mean, not that I wouldn't… I mean, obviously you're _beautiful_ and you know this, I just didn't want you to think that—"

"Don't worry about it," she interrupts in an attempt to save the both of them from this conversation. "I get what you mean."

He nods, swallows a little and allows another pause to pass between them. When he finally speaks again, it's to say, "You really are beautiful, though."

She can tell he means it, too. "Thank you."

He shrugs as if to say _no problem_ as a taxi finally pulls up to the curb right in front of them. She glances at him. He walks over, careful to keep the umbrella over them, but when he pulls open the door, he steps aside to let her go in first. "All yours, beautiful," he says, grinning.

She laughs a little. "Thank you," she tells him for a third time. She doesn't think she's said it this many times to a stranger because no one's ever given her reason to.

As she's sliding in, she thinks that this would be the part in some romantic movie where she'd impulsively invite him to share the taxi with her. But she won't do that, because it's not in her practical, cautious nature to open up that quickly to someone. Besides, she doesn't even know where he's going and if it's anywhere near her apartment complex.

"It was nice meeting you," he tells her. "I'm Wally, by the way. Wally West."

"Artemis Crock," she supplies. "It was nice meeting you, too."

He shuts the door and steps back a little, and she gives him a smile through the window before the taxi pulls back onto the road. She gives the driver her address and pulls out her phone, typing her grocery list out on a notepad: eggs, tomatoes, garlic, syrup, bananas, waffles.

Then she bites her lower lip a little. Raquel's boyfriend is good friends with an executive recruiter and she's seen him at work. Dick can find anything about anyone.

So she skips a line underneath her list and types out _Wally West_, and then dials Raquel to ask if they invited Dick and Zatanna to dinner tonight.

She has a favor to ask him.


	4. drabble 3

**Pairing:** Damian/Lian  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 1,100  
**The 'verse:** Damian and Lian have both been recently inducted into the Team  
**Prompt:** first mission with the new Young Justice team  
**For:** GATMAN

**Note:** This is a quick "who's who" with my personal spin on these characters in the Earth-16 'verse, but they _do_ exist one DC 'verse or another. I do have headcanons for them as the new Team but I won't go into detail. If you're curious, I'll post it somewhere later (:

- Robin V (aka: Damian Wayne)  
- Red Hood (aka: Lian Nguyen-Harper)  
- Absurd (aka: Colin Wilkes)  
- Superboy II (aka: Chris Kent)  
- Green Lantern (aka: Milagro Reyes)  
- Batgirl III (aka: Nell Little)

... ...

"This is _your_ fault."

"I don't see how this is _my_ fault!" She shushes him, glancing around, and he rolls his eyes. "No one's up here with us," he informs, waving the holographic screen being projected from the metal band on his wrist as proof. "And I wouldn't be careless enough to let them catch us."

"This is our _first mission_ on the Team," she reminds. "How am I supposed to know what you're capable of doing?"

He shoots her a look. "Maybe because we've known each other since we were in _diapers_? You know exactly what I'm capable of doing."

She exhales. "Sorry. I know you wouldn't let us get hurt." He glances at her and sees her looking through the shutters of the vent. "I'm just really worried about the others. I know this isn't our first mission together, but we always had our mentors with us and it's not like we had to worry about Arrow and Batman not being able to handle things."

"I know," he says, closing his eyes. "I know."

He also knows exactly what she's thinking. It's not that she's worried that the others can't handle being captured, but they have Colin with them and their captors locked them up in one of the offices of this abandoned warehouse. Those offices aren't exactly big.

And Colin is claustrophobic.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

He turns to look at her and just knows that their eyes meet through the whites of their masks. He's never once seen her as anxious as he knows she feels right now. It's completely up to them to get their friends out of the office and get them out of this warehouse and she's afraid of messing up.

Which he thinks is kind of stupid, because it's _them_. Maybe they're not used to the Team just yet, but they've gone on countless missions together. They know each other's capabilities in and out. As much as they argue (which, okay, isn't _all the time_ like everyone likes to say), fighting alongside each other is the one thing they do perfectly.

So he says simply, "If it's just the two of us then there's nothing to worry about."

"But, Robin—"

"Who kicks butt better than us?" he interrupts, flashing his usual smirk. Seeing this seems to relax her a little because the corner of her mouth curves up. "You got my back?"

She's smiling fully now. He holds his fist out, and she bumps hers against his as she says, "If you've got mine."

And of course she worried for nothing.

Their teamwork is effortless just like it always is: a boost off of his back to get more air, a tranquilizing arrow to the neck when his hands were full, a batarang to the head in the second it takes her to aim. They never have to ask each other to do anything. They just know when they need each other and exactly what to do.

When the last guy goes down, he scans the room for Lian and finds her already making her way towards the office door. It doesn't look like she has a scratch on her, and he smiles to himself at that.

She plucks one of his batarangs off of the floor and uses it to pick the lock, barely getting out of the way as the door bursts open. Milagro throws her arms around Lian as Nell runs right to him, and he places his hands on her shoulders and checks for any damage. Stephanie made him promise to look after her, but honestly, he would've done it anyway.

She's a little shaken up but other than that, she's totally unharmed. Her eyes widen, though, when she sees that he's not. "Robin—"

"I'm fine," he cuts her off. And before she can protest like he knows she wants to, he gets distracted by Chris helping Colin out of the room. Colin sits on the ground with his back against the wall, and he and Nell walk over to him and the others.

He kneels down to get to eye level with Colin. He looks pale, but otherwise better than Damian expected.

"How're you holding up?"

Colin musters a smile. "Just fine," he breathes.

"Are you fine enough to escape without Superboy having to carry you?" Colin nods again. "Okay. Then we should get going _now_ before their friends decide to come."

"We'll make sure the area's clear," Milagro announces, and she and Nell are gone.

Chris kneels by Colin and the two begin to talk, and as Damian looks around the room at the unconscious bodies, he contemplates joining the other two. They're just doing a quick perimeter sweep, though, which shouldn't take very long. So there really wouldn't be a point in him going.

"You have our escape route planned, right?" Lian stands beside him, pulling her hood down. Her auburn locks are falling out of her ponytail and somehow it makes her even prettier.

He's not sure why he's thinking about that right now.

"It should be safe to back the way we came. I'd say we ought to take the air ducts again, but…" They glance back at Colin. "I don't want to put him through anything else."

She smiles at him.

"What?"

"You're emotions are showing," she teases.

He rolls his eyes even though she can't see it and matters, "Whatever, Little Red."

She laughs. That's not her alias, but that's _his_ alias for her because it fits. He's called her this practically since he started speaking, and it works with or without the mask. Plus, her hair looks like fire and she's always been a little shorter than her. It suits her. And no one else calls her that, either, which is a good thing because he's never been fond of sharing.

Her eyes fall downward and then widen like Nell's had. He shifts so that his cape falls forward a little more, but it makes her frown, so he exhales reluctantly and pulls his cape back again so she can get a better look at the cut on his side.

It just sliced his costume and barely got deeper than the layer of his skin. It's _nothing_, and he tells her exactly that.

"I know," she sighs. And that doesn't mean she agrees, just that she'll wait until later to berate him about it. "Thanks for earlier," she adds, leaning forward, and before he can really react, she's placing a kiss to his cheek.

And from the door, two girls exclaim, "I _told_ you so!"


	5. drabble 4

**Pairing:** Barry/Iris  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,200+  
**The 'verse:** Barry is the high school chemistry geek who slides under the radar while Iris is a reporter on the school newspaper.  
**Prompt:** first time they really notice each other  
**For:** Lightandlines

... ...

She has better things to do than stay after class because her teacher asked her to. And she's not trying to sound like a brat – she's _not_ – but she just interviewed the principal on the scandal surrounding the holes in the school budget and she wants to start writing her piece while everything's still fresh in her head.

She got the whole thing recorded and jotted down her own notes, obviously, but she just prefers to write while she's still got her creative energy going.

And she doesn't know where her teacher disappeared to, either. Mr. Garrick said they needed to talk after class, which she didn't mind since she can drive now and doesn't have to depend on other people picking her up.

But he told her he'd be right back and five minutes later, she's still standing in his classroom, alone.

She _really_ wants to start this article. But she doesn't want to just ditch, either. Mr. Garrick is one of her favorite teachers and she respects him. And he sounded like he really needed her to agree to stay today, so she did. If he needs her help, of course she'll give it if she can. And if she'd brought her laptop with her like she always does, this wouldn't be a problem. But she was up late last night and forgot to charge it and didn't have time this morning, so she just left it at home because she figured she could go the day without it.

Well, whatever. She's a _writer_. She doesn't need to type to get the words flowing. So she sits down at one of the desks in the front row and pulls out her history notebook and her favorite pen (it's _inky_), flips it to the empty pages in the very back and starts writing.

When someone finally walks in through the door, Iris glances up at the clock – it's been fifteen minutes since she started writing – and clicks her pen closed.

"Hey, sorry I'm late—"

Except it's _not_ Mr. Garrick that walks in.

"Whoa," he mutters, and Iris finds herself staring at a pair of bright green eyes behind squared spectacles.

She recognizes who it is, too. She's had classes with Barry Allen since middle school, and when she was starting out with journalism in the sixth grade, she remembers loving this article that got written about the environmentally-friendly fuel source he made from his own kitchen and used to power his grandfather's old car.

The stylistic choices of the author were both risky and magnificent. And she remembers thinking that Barry Allen would be whisked away to some fancy lab by the eighth grade.

"Iris West," he says, clearly surprised to see her there.

She sets her pen down as she stands. "You know my name?"

He gives a small smile. "It'd be kind of hard not to," he admits with a soft laugh. "You're the school's favorite reporter. You're everywhere."

She doesn't know why that makes her want to blush. "Thank you," she tells him, meaning it, and holds her hand out. He seems to hesitate before shaking it, which would've made her frown (Does she intimidate people or something?) if she wasn't distracted by the sticky sensation she just felt between their palms.

They pull their hands back at the same time and she sees black smudges against her skin. Ink from her pen.

"I'm so sorry about that," she says quickly, pulling her bag onto the desk and rummaging through. "I was working on an article and the pen I used is really inky and I guess I never noticed that it was smudging. I probably would've, but I usually type it, and…" She bites her lower lip to keep from rambling, pulling out her travel-sized hand sanitizer. "Sorry."

He gives an amused smile, and for a second she's taken aback on the inside.

He has an amazing smile.

It probably has to do with his face. He has a perfect jaw structure, and his eyes are bright and contrast in a really interesting way with his blonde hair.

"Iris?" She blinks, snapping out of her thoughts. She's surprised; she's not usually this scatter-brained. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she says kind of quickly. "Can you just, um…" She waves her hand sanitizer a little and he holds his hand out as she squirts some into his palm. Then she squirts some into her own hands and rubs the ink out of her skin, wiping it clean with a tissue.

She glances at him again as he's wiping his hands clean as well, and she finds herself staring again. He really does have a perfect face. And his build is nice, too. He's muscular but lean, like the build of a runner, and somehow he makes his typical collared-shirts-and-sweater-vests-over-khaki-pants outfits look really good.

She wonders why she never noticed this about him before.

"Ah, good," a voice says, and they both look to see Mr. Garrick walking in, carrying a box full of lab manuals. He sets the box on his desk and gives them a wrinkled smile. "So you two have met."

"Oh," Barry says, something obviously just occurring to him. He looks at Iris. "This is—"

"Yup. She's the one," Mr. Garrick says, and then turns to her and smiles a bit wider. "Of course, only if she wants to do it."

"What is it I want to do, exactly?" she asks.

"Barry, here, is working on another one of his award-winning inventions," Mr. Garrick explains, and the tone in his voice and the smile he gives Barry tells Iris that their relationship seems to lean towards a familial side. "And he needed help with his research. So naturally, I thought of you."

"Me?"

"Who knows how to dig up dirt better than you?" He laughs at his own words, starting to pull the books from the box and stack them on the table. "But it's only if you're up to it, though. If not, I can try to find someone else."

She bites on her lower lip. Mr. Garrick knows her well. He worded it like a challenge and now she really, really wants to take up the offer.

Plus, she's looking at Barry – he pushes his frames back into place and gives her another perfect smile – and she's totally not opposed to seeing where this partnership takes them. If it were someone who wasn't as sweet or intelligent or attractive (even in the nerdy sort of way, which she's kind of really into right now), she'd probably be less interested.

She totally caves. "Sounds like fun," she says, turning to Barry Allen. "Looks like you've got yourself a partner."

"Looks like it," he says with a grin.

"Great!" Mr. Garrick says. "And I hear that the diner down the street is a great place to start working on future innovations."

Iris laughs at that (very subtle, Mr. Garrick) and Barry chuckles, shrugging one shoulder. "I could probably go for some crepes right now," he admits. "Besides, if we're going to be partners, we should get to know each other more, right?"

"Right," she agrees, and gives him a smile.. She can already tell that she's going to enjoy his company. "But you're paying."


	6. drabble 5

**Pairing:** Wally/Artemis  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,100+  
**The 'verse:** Artemis is Oliver Queen's niece and a successful hero. Wally is the one with secrets.  
**Prompt:** first time he tells his secret  
**For:** Souffles In Space

... ...

The _last_ thing she expected the young boy she had her arrow pointed at to say was a clearly stunned, "You?"

But it's not directed at her.

She casts a glance to her side where Wally – as Kid Flash – stands frozen in his spot, his green eyes wide as he takes in the sight of the darker redheaded boy. She can practically see the wheels turning in his head, his eyes lighting with recognition. Clearly, they know each other. The thought makes her stomach flip uncomfortably. Her grip trembles on her bow.

"Kid Flash?" she asks. He blinks and looks at her, as if he just remembered she was standing there.

The name seems to snap the boy out of his trance, too, because he narrows his eyes at Wally. "Is that what you're going by, now?"

Her heart sinks in her chest. What the hell is he talking about?

Suddenly, the boy is mad. "So you ditched us to play hero?" he questions. She blinks and then he's gone, and she mutters a curse under her breath, turning to see him standing directly in front of Wally. "You left us – left _me_ – to be _their_ slave while you escaped?"

"Bart—"

"How could you?" he demands.

"I can explain—"

Before Wally can continue, though, there's a loud ringing. And suddenly the sprinklers burst on, raining water down on them. Something triggered the school's fire alarm.

"We're not done here," the boy – Bart, apparently – declares, and he holds Wally's stare for another full second before turning to look at Artemis. She barely has her arm moving her boy into position when something collides into her side, and someone catches her before she can hit the ground.

Wally's holding her up, but his eyes are locked on the door leading into the hallway.

Bart is long gone.

Wally tightens his grip on her arms as he helps her to her feet again, his fingers curling until they're digging into her skin and she lets out a yelp. His hands are off of her before she can blink, and he quickly mutters, "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

But right now, she doesn't really care about the possible marks he just left in her arms. And the expression he's bearing tells her that he knows this, too.

"What was that about?" she asks. She can feel her costume soaking through, the water sticking to her skin. "And don't just try to brush it off like you do everything else."

Wally lets out a strained breath. "It's nothing, Artemis."

"Wally!" she snaps. She shouldn't be using his name while they're out on a mission like this, but she doesn't care right now. "He knew you. Why?"

"Artemis," he exhales. It's a plea. He doesn't want to talk about this right now.

She's not giving him a choice.

Water rains down on them as she crosses her arms, waiting. He sighs and pushes a hand through his soaked hair. "He's my cousin," he says. Her breathing hitches. "Well, technically he's not, but it's just a lot easier to call him that. But basically, we're related." He meets her eyes. "And I used to work with him for the Light."

She takes a step back, bow slipping from her hand, and he speeds over to catch it. He stays kneeling in front of her, not looking up, and she sets her hand on the desk next to her to keep herself steady.

"You… work for the Light?" She barely gets it out.

She thinks she might be nauseous.

"No!" This time he does look at her, eyes wide as he straightens back up. "At least, I don't anymore. I did before because my family dragged me into it."

Her fist tightens around her arrow. She knows he notices this. "Who's your family?" she asks hesitantly.

"It's not important." She sucks in a breath. "It's not!" he insists, voice cracking, and something twinges inside her at how broken he sounds. She'd always been a little bit suspicious when Flash suddenly brought him onto the Team and claimed Wally was his nephew. But she never questioned it because Batman vouched for them, and she's known from the few encounters with him over the years she's worked alongside her Uncle Ollie that Batman should always be trusted. So she went along with it.

Or, at least she _tried_ to. But she probably wasn't the friendliest person to Wally and hearing the desperation in his voice to believe her somehow makes _her_ feel guilty.

"So the story with Flash was made up?" she asks. "You're not really his nephew?"

Wally shakes his head.

"How did you end up being his partner, then?"

He brings his hand up and rubs the back of his neck like he does when he's uncomfortable. "I kind of went rogue from the Light when I escaped, but they were still after me. When I ran into Flash, he'd recognized me from Star City that night you guys went up against Ivo's androids."

"Wait…" she breathes, her head feeling light. Everything starts clicking into place. "That was _you_ that tripped the Amazo?" He nods. "You saved my life."

He shrugs his shoulder. "Flash recognized me from then," he goes on. "I guess he saw me after you guys called for back-up. He told me that I didn't have to end up like my family."

"How did he know about your situation?"

"Batman," he answers. Of course. "Batman was there the night they approached me about becoming Flash's partner."

She nods absently, sitting herself on the corner of the desk. She needs a moment.

"Are you mad?"

She turns her head, meeting his eyes, and her stomach flips.

Was she mad? No, she didn't feel mad. Honestly, she feels kind of relieved. She's been so convinced that there was something else to Wally that she wasn't quite getting, and now she got her answer: he's so much more than she ever thought he was. He lied to them, yeah, but at the same time he didn't lie about anything important. She's sure the personality he has around them is the most himself he's probably felt in a while. And he's _not_ his family. He's one of them. He's her teammate and… and her _friend_.

So she shakes her head, feeling _something_ spark within her when he looks visibly relieved. "You earned your spot on the Team, Wally," she tells him. "And you're our friend."

He flashes one of his stupidly wide smiles, stepping closer until he's right in front of her. He seems to hesitate at first, but then he throws his arms around her. She tenses, not at all expecting the gesture, but she exhales a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, letting go of her arrow as she hugs him back.

He runs his hand over her back, rubbing water into her skin, and she closes her eyes and lets his natural warmth melt everything else away.


	7. drabble 6

**Pairing:** Bart Allen/Rose Wilson  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,000+  
**The 'verse:** When the invasion is over, Artemis brings Rose Wilson - the daughter of Deathstroke, whom Artemis apprenticed under as Tigress - back to the Team to start anew.  
**Prompt:** first time they formally meet  
**For:** an anon

**Note:** It'd be kind of crazy how instantly I fell in love with this ship if it hasn't happened so many times before. But basically, I'm smitten with this couple and the one the next drabble will be on. So don't be surprised if you see me write more of them.

... ...

There's something almost pretty about the sadness in her, and he thinks that considering the future he'd lived in and left in order to save, he's allowed to think that without sounding weird. He's learned to find beauty in tragedy.

She looks a little out of place right now, which he can relate to, but at least he knows most of the people here on a personal level. They've become his friends and honestly, besides the obvious reasons, he really loves this past – which he guesses is _his_ present now – because of all the people he's met. But she doesn't really know anyone here other than Artemis, who he last saw sneaking away with Wally a few minutes ago. He doesn't blame them, though, since they'd been apart for months while everything was happening.

Wally was a wreck without her. He can't imagine that things were any better on her end.

And he considers going over to talk to this girl, but the one and only time they've ever encountered each other besides now, she held the blade of her sword to his throat and her father stood over her, telling her to get the kill over with. Maybe she won't recognize him from then, but he definitely knows it's her.

Not many people have white hair.

He finishes the rest of his punch and walks over to the table, fills two plastic cups with fruit punch and walks towards her.

She meets his eyes when he's a little more than halfway across the room, and he gives her a smile as he reaches her, extending one of the cups. "You looked thirsty," he says as a greeting, and she silently takes it from him. "I'm Bart Allen."

"I know," she says. Her voice is low and quiet, gentle and really pretty, and it kind of contradicts to the image he has of her trying to kill him. "I'm Rose."

"Is it just _Rose_?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "That's the only part of my name that matters."

He can't help but smile at that.

He knows who her father is – or, was – because Artemis told them when she and the others were explaining _everything_. When she was taken under Deathstroke's wing as Tigress, she met his daughter, Rose. Apparently they'd formed a bond, because Artemis did everything in her power to make sure Rose didn't suffer the same fate as the Light.

She didn't have to join them. She could've had the chance at a normal life, but she didn't want it. Or maybe she was afraid to even try.

Either way, she's one of them now and he knows how much that really means to her.

"Quite a party, huh?"

She throws up an eyebrow, cracking a grin, and his skin tingles a little. She looks even prettier like this.

He tells her as much and she just blinks in surprise. "Shut up."

"Why is that so hard to believe?" he laughs, reaching up to tuck a bit of her stray hair behind her ear. His fingertips graze the material of her eye-patch and his smile grows. "You're really pretty."

"And you sound like a broken record." But she's smiling now. Then she takes a large gulp of her drink and exhales, "Want to get out of here?"

"Why? Is the party not fun enough for you, or are you just a natural stick-in-the-mud?"

"Seriously, shut up," she tells him, laughing a little. "I just want some fresh air, and since I don't know my way around this place, _you_"—she pushes her index finger against his neck and again, he pictures her pinning him to the ground, blade pressing against his throat underneath the inhibitor collar—"are going to show me around."

In a grand flourish that causes him to spill some of his punch, he gestures towards the empty hallway. "Then allow me."

And he doesn't get through half of the newly rebuilt Cave because it's _huge_ and there are some rooms he doubts anyone but the Leaguers that remodeled know about, but he figures it's okay, because they end up on this sort of balcony area on the side of the mountain. There's a sea breeze and you can see out into Happy Harbor. There's a huge party going on in the park visible from Mount Justice, and according to his watch (a Christmas present from his grandpa; he, Barry, Wally, and Jay all have matching ones), it's a minute to midnight.

They probably should be inside with the others.

But he looks over at Rose, the wind gently blowing her hair, which looks almost silver in the moonlight, and he thinks that he likes it out here much better.

"What are you looking forward to?" he asks almost out of the blue. She looks at him. "We all basically get to start something new together, right?"

"Something new," she echoes, leaning against the railing. "I'd like that, actually."

"Me too."

He's been thinking a lot about… Well, when he'd left the future, he hadn't really been leaving anyone behind. Yeah, there's Nathanial, but they both knew this mission of his meant that they'd probably never see each other again. But even if they somehow figure out the whole time travel thing in this point in time, he wonders if he'd really go back to the future.

Eventually he'd have to, right? But he wonders how bad it would be if he just _stayed_ and grew up here.

He really doesn't want to cross that bridge when he gets there.

Rose nudges his shoulder as they hear the countdown from Happy Harbor, and he grins at her, hopping onto the railing to sit beside her. When it turns midnight, she leans over and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Happy New Year, Bart," she tells him.

He smiles. He has to stop thinking ahead. He finally has the chance to be _happy_ and he needs to slow down a little bit in order to truly enjoy it.

So he replies, "Happy New Year, Rose," sliding his hand over hers on the railing as he tilts his head up and watches fireworks light the sky.


	8. drabble 7

**Pairing:** Gar/Cissie  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,100+  
**The 'verse:** She was his sister's best friend's cousin once removed. He wanted to keep the relations tighter.  
**Prompt:** first time they see each other after a while  
**For:** an anon

... ...

The last time he saw her was when they were both six and they had a pretend wedding, used a big muffin from Costco as their wedding cake and her doll as their baby. That had been at his sister's sixth birthday party and her family moved away shortly after. They didn't try to stay in touch and he figured he'd just never see her again.

_Never_, apparently, meant seven years.

Because he's coming back from his run with Beast and he sees Artemis standing in her driveway, her garage open and boxes around her.

Artemis has been his sister's best friend since she moved across the street from them a few months before he was born. He thinks it's really cool how close they are. They don't have too much in common, but that's probably what makes their friendship work so well.

He jogs across the street and Artemis shields her hand from the sun (it's the beginning of summer, so it's really hot and really bright all the time) to get a better look. "Hey, Gar."

"Hey, Artemis." He frowns. "I thought you were leaving for college at the _end_ of summer."

"I still am," she assures. "This stuff isn't mine. It's my cousin's."

"They're already getting ready to replace you, huh?"

"Shut up." She laughs, shoving his shoulder, and then makes a face when she realizes how sweaty he is. "My cousin's going to live with my parents for at least the next four years for high school. She'll be going to Happy Harbor like you." Then a thought seems to cross her mind. "You've met her before, I think."

He arches an eyebrow. "I have?"

And that's when the door to the garage opens, and he and Artemis both turn as she's stepping outside, two glasses of lemon iced tea in hand.

"Artemis, here's some—oh," she says, and he smiles at her.

It's kind of crazy how instantly he recognizes her, considering it's been so long and she looks different.

A _good _different.

Her hair is longer and a darker yellow, like honey. She's taller now, and he can tell by her figure that she does some sort of sport, or at least exercises regularly. And she holds herself differently, too. She doesn't seem as shy anymore, if at all.

"Hi," he greets.

"Hi," she says back.

"Impressive vocabulary, guys," Artemis laughs. "You can give the other glass to him. I've got to go inside and call Wally, anyway."

"Tell him that he still sucks for not getting me a souvenir from his trip to Italy," he says, and Artemis laughs as she heads back inside. Then he turns back to Cissie and chuckles. "I bet you don't remember me, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure I do," she insists. "You look a lot like your sister. But," she laughs a little, "I don't remember your hair always being green."

He flashes a smile, messing with it a little. "I thought it'd be fun to dye it. Megan picked the color."

"It looks cute."

He feels his cheeks warm as his smile widens. "Thanks," he tells her. She grins and hands him one of the iced teas in her hands, and he takes it gratefully, gulping down almost half of the glass in one swig. _Gosh_, he was dehydrated. He's pretty much thirsty all the time now that it's sunnier and hotter, and it probably didn't help that he just ran, too.

"Did you play a game at the park or something?" she asks.

"What makes you say that?"

"You just look like you had a good workout," she says, and he thinks it's just a polite way to say he's sweaty and gross. But she doesn't look disgusted by it like some of the girls he went to school with would be, and he thinks that's pretty awesome.

"I went for a run," he tells her, taking another gulp of his iced tea. "I run every day," he goes on, "because I'm in—"

"Don't tell me!" He blinks in surprise at the interruption. She giggles a little. "I want to guess," she explains, tilting her head a little as she looks at him. "You don't seem the football and baseball type. Maybe you're into basketball or soccer. But more as a hobby, because it seems too mainstream for you to really like, right?"

He's impressed. "How did you know that?" he laughs. "I bet Artemis told you or something."

"_No_." She's laughing, too. "I just think we'd have similar tastes in sports."

"You have good taste, then."

"Thanks." She grins.

"So, what _are_ you into? And, more importantly," he gestures to himself with his free hand, "What do you think _I'm_ into?"

"I like the uncommon stuff," she says, "lacrosse, rugby, kickboxing, swimming, badminton, tennis, a little bit of rollerblading and biking."

He arches an eyebrow. "Tennis isn't that uncommon, is it?"

"It was at my old school. And I'm guessing _you_ are into… kickboxing and tennis?"

"Swimming and lacrosse."

She snaps her fingers, laughing. "Darn. So close."

"But you were right when you said I like the uncommon sports," he tells her. "Megan and I play tennis a lot since they remodeled the courts at the park. And I go rollerblading and biking pretty often. Actually, I'm going with some friends in an hour or two. You should come with us."

"Are you rollerblading or biking?"

"Well, I think Jaime and Cassie are biking," he says, "and I'll be rollerblading like Bart, Tim and Stephanie. You should come with us," he says again.

"I don't have my bike or my blades," she sighs, gesturing around at the boxes. "My parents are bringing the rest of my stuff when they visit this weekend."

"Then use my bike," he says simply. "You need to make new friends here, anyway, right? So my friends are now your friends!" She laughs a little. "And I'm sure Cassie and Steph will love having another girl around, especially one as sporty as them."

She takes a few seconds to think about it before relenting. "Sounds like fun," she says, grinning a little wider as she adds, "_Garfield_."

He beams. "You remembered!"

"I told you I did!"

"Well, I'm glad you're joining us, _Cissie_." He laughs with her this time, and then downs the rest of his tea. "_Man_, I'm going to miss that iced tea. It was so good."

"Come on, there's more in the kitchen," she tells him, and he grins and follows her inside. The house is almost exactly how he remembers it from when they were little and he and Megan would come over and play with her and Artemis. It brings back memories.

So he pours some more into his glass as Cissie gets them something to snack on, and they share a knowing smile when she sets a muffin between them on the kitchen table.


	9. drabble 8

**Pairing:** Wally/Artemis  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 1,300+  
**The 'verse:** They've been roommates for a few years.  
**Prompt:** first time they kiss  
**For:** beforeandafter

... ...

Now she _knows_ she's hurt when she's suddenly envious of the chick in this stupid romantic comedy she only watched because it had Chris Evans. _What's Your Number?_ is far from the greatest movie ever, and she has almost nothing in common with this Ally chick, but she wants this movie to be her life, anyway.

That's just sad.

And actually, she and Ally may have one thing in common: they both have bad tastes in guys.

Seriously, getting together with Cameron was the _worst_ idea she's ever had.

She doesn't know why she always goes for asses that are too wrapped up in their own egos to treat her decently. Maybe she finds the dysfunctional relationship satisfying or something. It's not like her parents were a prime example of stable, loving marriage.

And she's going to stop thinking about it now.

It's starting to get warm, too, so she pulls her old high school tee over her head and pushes her flannel pajama shorts down. She's never had too much shame to begin with, but even if she did, there's nothing wrong with parading around her own apartment in nothing but her underwear and a tank-top when it's hot. She has a roommate, but he's out with some high school friends right now. He wouldn't have cared if he was here, anyway. And he usually doesn't leave her alone like this, but she was supposed to be at Cameron's.

So.

She gets up when the creepy puppet guy is on the screen (seriously, that's just _wrong_) and walks into the kitchen, twisting her hair and clipping it into a bun atop her head. She pulls open the freezer door, but their usual supply of ice-cream sandwiches and fruit popsicles is gone.

Tonight is just _not_ her night.

"Artemis?" someone asks, and she jumps a little, looking around as Wally's stepping inside and shutting the front door. "Are you in here?"

"What are you doing home?" she asks, and he turns to face her. "I thought you said you wouldn't be back until one or something?"

He holds up his cell. "Zee called," he explains, and she just sighs, wondering whether she should hate or love her best friend for keeping him informed. "I just told the guys my roommate was upset and they were cool about it," he adds.

"So here you are," she says.

He chuckles a little bit, setting his phone and a brown paper bag onto the kitchen table before draping his jacket over the back of the chair. "I think you need a hug," he tells her, and he just laughs at her when she tips her head back and groans loudly. "Oh, get over it," he tells her, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.

"You suck." But she's smiling as she winds her arms around him, anyway. "And I don't need a hug. I need something sweet, but _you_ not-so-surprisingly devoured everything in our fridge again. You are so lucky I make bank in tips. And that Costco is right across the street."

"I would starve without you," he says, and he sounds like he means it. She laughs. Yeah, he probably would. "Let me make it up to you in the only way I know how."

"Food?" she guesses.

"Not just _any_ food." He pulls back, opening the paper bag and pulling out a tub of espresso ice-cream. She can't help it; she smiles widely at that. He could care less about espresso ice-cream, or coffee in general, but she _loves_ it. "_And_," he adds, turning the brown paper bag around so that she can see the logo printed onto the front.

"You didn't," she says. He flashes a toothy smile. "You got crepes?"

"Our usual, one for each of us," he specifies. "They were closing when I got there, but since we're regulars and they love us so much, Megan stayed to make these."

"She's the best. _You're_ the best."

He feigns a shocked expression. "Was that a _compliment_ that just came out of your mouth? And for _me_?"

"Shut up, Wallace" she says with a roll of her eyes.

"That's more like my Artemis." Her lips curve upward into a smile, feeling her stomach do a stupid flip like it always does when he refers to her as _his_. She hates it when guys feel like they own her, but it's different when he says it. It's more endearing and it doesn't make her feel like a piece of property. "Shall we eat?"

"We shall."

She walks over to the cupboards and pulls down two plates, then balances them in one hand as she opens a drawer and plucks the ice-cream scooper. She sets the plates down on the table and hands him the scooper.

"You know, you really didn't have to leave your friends for me," she tells him. "I would've been fine on my own."

"Of course you would've been fine on your own," he says with a laugh. "But after what that asshole did to you, I wasn't about to let you spend another night alone even _if _you could handle it. You shouldn't have to."

"Oh."

He smiles. "So what's the movie about?"

"It's a romantic comedy." He pretends to gag and she laughs, pulling the two plastic containers from the bag and popping them open. "I picked it because it has Chris Evans," she explains, sliding each crepe onto a plate as he's pulling the lid off of the ice-cream. "It's basically about this girl like, rediscovering that her exes are all losers or jerks."

"Sounds familiar," he comments, nudging her hip with his. She rolls her eyes.

"But it's so obvious she's going to end up with Chris Evans," she goes on. "He lives across the hall from her and he's this, like, womanizer that's falling in love as he's helping her track down her exes."

"_Plot twist_," he sings. She laughs. Then he says, "Hey," and when she looks up at him, he has this thoughtful look on his face. "That's kind of like us, huh?"

"I guess," she admits, although now that she's thinking about it, it really _does_ sound like them, at least a little.

Wally wasn't a pig or anything, but it's not like he was a saint, either. He didn't hurt for the company of a woman, even if that woman happened to be a different one almost every night. He lived down the hall from her because their floors were co-ed, and since they both wake up early, they just kept running into each other on their morning jog or when they went to get breakfast. Then they started talking and hanging out and whatnot, and somehow that turned into whatever it is they call themselves now. She's still not sure.

She looks up at him. "Hey Wally?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you, for everything," she says, and she's not sure if she means tonight, or for however many nights he's dropped his plans just to comfort her. She always wondered why he so willingly spent all this time with her. Now she thinks…

Well, maybe he has more in common with that Chris Evans character than just his former womanizing ways.

She leans up to press a kiss to his cheek, but Wally turns towards her at the last second so that she ends up pressing her lips against his, and they both freeze. Her eyes flick up and find him staring into hers. He doesn't look like he's trying to figure out what just happened, but like he's trying to figure out if it's going to happen again.

"Artemis," he mumbles.

She bites her lower lip, because that doesn't sound like he thinks that kissing his roommate in the middle of their kitchen is a bad idea at all. So she closes her eyes and presses their lips together again, loving the way he groans a little and slides an arm around her waist, the other coming up to cradle her face. You'd think that after all of the crap she's gone through, she'd learn to stop taking so many risks and just throwing herself into the arms of guys. But she just knows that this time – with Wally – will be different.

Maybe she'll get her cliché movie ending after all.


	10. drabble 9

**Pairing:** Dick/Zatanna  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,100+  
**The 'verse:** Zatanna is a barista at a coffeeshop and Dick works across the street  
**Prompt:** their first date  
**For:** sweetcoffee-and-Saturdays

... ...

He's not a big fan of coffee. Bruce likes it, which… well, whatever. He just does. Dick doesn't entirely get the appeal.

But he still spends $2.50 each day just to buy a cup.

There's this coffee place across the street from the computer repair shop he works at after classes, and he's pretty much a regular. He's always over there for his breaks and sometimes with his friends when they stay up to study or something. He doesn't think he could ever get tired eating the pastries and breakfast foods they serve.

He doesn't think he could ever get tired of seeing the cute waitress that works there, either.

She probably works similar hours to his because most of the time he can look across the street and see her taking orders or serving coffee. He imagines that she's a student at Gotham University, too, but he's never seen her on campus before. It's not that surprising since the place is huge, but it's almost two months into the semester and he just figured he'd have to run into her eventually, right? He's not the partying type, but he's been to a few and he's never seen her around. Maybe she's just not the party type, either.

"Hi, Dick," a voice greets him as soon as he's stepping through the door.

"Hey, Raquel." He hops onto the barstool at the counter that's become _his_ seat. "How'd your blind date go?"

"It was actually kind of amazing," she admits, sounding pleasantly surprised. He raises his eyebrows a little. "I know, right? You know how skeptical I was about it at first, but it's kind of unreal how much of a gentleman he was. And we're meeting again tonight."

"So you two hit it off?"

"As if I'd known him my whole life," Raquel replies. Then she smiles. "I'm sorry, let me go get…" She cranes her head to look into the kitchen. "Is Zatanna in there?"

"I'm hurt, Raquel," he teases. "First you go on a date with this mystery guy instead of me and now you don't want to even serve me?"

She laughs. "We all know who _you_ want to be served by. And here she comes," Raquel adds with a wink, tucking her pencil behind her ear as Zatanna is stepping out of the kitchen, a coffee pot in hand and a tray with a plate of pancakes in her other. "Look, Zee. Your favorite customer is here."

"You didn't harass him, did you?" Zatanna teases. He meets her eyes and smiles. "We wouldn't want him running off to Starbucks. It'd be bad for business."

"_Sure_. That's why he shouldn't stop coming here." Raquel meets his eyes and winks again. He chuckles and shakes his head. "Try not to have too much fun on your break, Zee."

"No promises."

Raquel just laughs, disappearing into the kitchen.

He arches an eyebrow as Zatanna is setting the coffee pot and pancakes down. "You're on your break?"

"Yeah. My hours are a little different now because I work a bit later." She sets two mugs in front of him, pouring coffee into both and then splashing in a little creamer and sugar. "And please tell me that you have a big appetite right now, because Clark made me some cinnamon apple pancakes and there're way too many for me to finish by myself."

"I thought you'd never ask."

She laughs, grabbing two forks before walking around the counter.

"So, you _do_ actually go to Gotham U, right?" he asks as she's sliding onto the barstool beside his. She gives him a look. "Well, I never see you, so."

"I'm either in class or here. Or I'm sleeping in my dorm," she adds with a shrug, handing him a fork. "I just want to make sure I settled into my part-time job and started making money before I work on my social life on campus."

"Fair enough." He cuts a square of the pancake off, stabbing it with his fork. "So, I have a question."

"Sounds serious," she teases. She scoops some whipped cream from the top and licks it off of her fork. "Ask away."

"Why do you always put sugar and creamer in my coffee?" She blinks, obviously not expecting the question. "I mean, I like that you do and all, but you didn't always. And I never see you do that with the other customers. You usually just give them the creamer and sugar separately."

"Most people like to do it themselves," she says with a shrug. "And some people are too stubborn to admit that they don't like black coffee."

He grins. "You noticed."

"You would swallow your coffee down like it was medicine. It wasn't hard to tell. Well," she corrects herself, smiling at the pancakes and stealing a glance at him, "not for me. I thought maybe you just didn't like it or… I don't know. But I thought I'd put some in there and see how you'd react."

"You make it sound like you were experimenting on me."

"I was." He laughs. "So, _I_ have a question, too," she goes on, and he raises his eyebrows, feeding himself some pancakes. "Why didn't you just add it yourself?"

He smiles as if he was expecting this. "I never really liked coffee before. I wouldn't even know where to begin trying to add more stuff to it."

"If you don't like coffee then why did you even come here in the first place?"

"I didn't like coffee _before_," he corrects. "It's grown on me now, but I only drink it here. I tried adding creamer and stuff when I order it from other places, but I guess you just put the perfect amount for me, so I don't ever get it right." He shrugs his shoulders a little. "And would it ruin my chances if I told you that I only started coming in here to run into you?"

She looks up in surprise, meeting his gaze. She's practically beaming at him, a tinge of color at her cheeks.

"It wouldn't hurt your chances at all, actually."

He grins. "That's a relief." She bites her lower lip a little, shifting her eyes back onto the pancakes. "So I guess this is like our first official date."

"And the other fifty-two times you came here on your breaks didn't count because…?"

"You counted."

She blushes a little more. "I count my work days. And you've been here every single day I've worked."

"Right," he chuckles. "And no, those don't count because you were technically still working, even _if_ you slacked off just to talk to me." She scoffs, pretending to be offended, and he laughs. "But it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy all fifty-two of them."

"That's a relief," she says. "But if we're speaking _technically_, this first date doesn't fully count, either. I'm still at my workplace."

"If I asked you if you wanted to go out to brunch with me on Sunday, then would that second 'first date' fully count?"

"Yeah, I think it would," she laughs, eyes sparkling. He grins.

"Then it's a date."


End file.
